Monday, January 29, 2007

dan's going head-to-head

STARTING THE WEEK OFF RIGHT: Martin O'Malley brings "Purple Line" back for good; Laurel residents see plans for a new mall this Tuesday (and Just Up The Pike might be attending); Blair High parents want graduations held in a megachurch again; and Derwood homeowners want more money if the ICC's going through their living rooms.

Over the past seven months, Just Up The Pike has talked the talk and walked the walk with the People Who Start Things in Montgomery County. What I haven't done yet, however, is get to know the People Who Finish Things; i.e. our elected officials. Sure, I've yelled at Ike Leggett once or twice, but do I know him as a person? Not at all.

Questions are being prepared and the emus are being corralled as Just Up The Pike heads to Rockville to sit down with our County Councilmembers and County Executive Ike Leggett and talk about whatever's bothering East County. Hopefully, we'll learn a little about them, too. (Did you know Nancy Floreen recently spent a week biking in Vietnam? It's true.) Here's a side of your elected officials you can't see on County Cable 6:

You could try to find out about any real development plans they have for Long Branch. Someone said they were giving LB the authority to go after funding... but there's a sense that the county is just shrugging their shoulders. You'd think there'd be a plan.

You're going to do great in these interviews. You have an intelligence and maturity beyond your years.

When I was growing up, one of the strongest influences on my life was actually my sister's godfather. He told us repeatedly that we're no better or no worse than any other person on Earth. You should have the confidence and conviction to speak to the President just as easily as you do to anyone else.

I'm looking forward to reading your articles about the interviews. :)

My concerns are things you've already touched one:

- Purple line and support for Metro repair/maintenance

- Birchmere and other continuing investments in DTSS

- Burtonsville Amish market and the broader subject of preserving our history/culture in the face of great expansion

Development.We're seeing little bits and pieces of a puzzle with projects here and there. Is there really a master plan as to what downtown SS will look like? Mixes of development? Are there enough buffers and transition areas to the well established neighborhoods? It's the neighborhoods that are close to downtown that make it a greener and more livable area and it would be nice to see what is being done to protect them.Two cases in point will be the Silver Place Park and Planning expansion and what eventually will happen to the old library when the new library is built.

Please ask about building height. If we increase the height of buildings, then there are more moderately priced units and more reason for businesses to open shop on the lower level. This would create true mixed development.

Dear MoCo, did you ask Nancy Floreen to send all the illegal immigrants back to Mexico? If you asked her about your obsessive preoccupation with illegal immigration, no wonder she gave you a non-committal response. You are a grade-A nutcase and she probably wanted to get away from you as quickly as she could.

Dear MoCo, did you ask Nancy Floreen to send all the illegal immigrants back to Mexico? If you asked her about your obsessive preoccupation with illegal immigration, no wonder she gave you a non-committal response. You are a grade-A nutcase and she probably wanted to get away from you as quickly as she could.